dinsdag 13 november 2012

Movie Moments: "Midnight in Paris"

I love the city of Paris and I'm madly in love with this Woody Allen movie. Love everything about it. Here are my favorite moments from "Midnight in Paris".

Moment # 1: Opening
We see all the beautiful places in Paris, by day and by night, with sunshine and rain.

Moment # 2: In love with a fantasy
Gil tells Inez how much he loves Paris, how he would want to live here someday. He loves Paris especially in the twenties and when it’s raining. Inez doesn’t understand why Gil loves Paris so much and tells him he’s in love with a fantasy. Gil tells Inez he’s in love with her.

Moment # 3: Arguing with the guide
Gil, Inez, Paul and Carol are listening to a guide who’s telling a story about Rodin.’Inez is fascinated about how much Paul knows. Paul thinks he knows more about Rodin, but the guide correct him. Paul doesn’t agree with the guide and starts arguing with her. Gil backs the guide up and tells Paul she’s right. When he does, Inez isn’t paying attention anymore.

Moment # 4: Gill gets lost
Gil decides to stroll Paris by night, all by himself, but gets lost. All of a sudden a car passes by and the passengers want him to come with them.

Moment # 5: The Fitzgeralds
Gil meets Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. The actual Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Gil realizes that he's now in 1920’s Paris.

Momemt # 6: Ernest Hemmingway
Gil meets writer Ernest Hemmingway, one of his idols. He asks Hemmingway if he wants to read his novel, but he won’t. He does want Gil to meet Gertrude Stein.

Moment # 7: Adriana
Gil meets Adriana, Picasso’s mistress. He’s speechless when he first sees her and Adriana loves Gil’s writing. They immediately hit it of and start a conversation.

Moment # 8: Gil’s view on Picasso
Inez and Gil are attending an art exhibit with Paul and Carol. Again Paul is showing of his knowledge and starts talking about a Picasso painting. Gil saw that exact painting the night before, when he met Picasso and tells them the real story behind it. It shuts them all up.

Moment # 9: Salvador Dali
Gil meets painter Salvador Dali. He starts talking about a rhinoceros and how he could paint Gil with a melting lip. Gil starts telling him about Inez, that he’s not sure if he loves her or not. And about Adriana, how fantastic she is.

Moment # 10: Gil kisses Adriana
While taking a walk at night, Gil kisses Adriana. He gives her earrings, which she loves and then they take a carriage ride.

Moment # 11: Inez cheated on Gil
Hemmingway read Gil’s novel and he doesn’t understand why the leading character doesn’t see that his fiancĂ©es is cheating on him. This makes Gil think about Inez and Paul. He ask Inez and she denies it. Later she admits to have spend a couple of nights with Paul, but Gil just has to get over it. Gil doesn’t want to go back to America with her and decides to stay in Paris.

Moment # 12: Paris in the rain
Gil encounters the girl he met before, when he was listening to a Cole Porter record. He tells the girl, who is named Gabrielle, that he has decided to stay in Paris. When he wants to take her out for a cup of coffee, it starts raining. Gabrielle tells Gil she doesn’t mind getting wet and that Paris is at its best when it’s raining.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 12: Paris in the rain

maandag 12 november 2012

Best of... Heath Ledger

After dedicating "The Many Face of..." to him I realized I never made a best of list for Heath Ledger. So that's why he's in this item now. Here are my favorites of the late Heath Ledger.

"10 Things I Hate About You"
This is one of those teencomedies that's actually good and when I watch it, I don't feel guilty. It's just such a fun film, with some great actors, like Heath Ledger and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I can't get enough of this movie. Come to think of it, it's about time I watch it again...

"Monster's Ball"
Only saw it ones and the only thing I remember is that the acting was sublime. Although Halle Berry isn't one of my favorites, in this movie she proved that she is a very good actress. Billy Bob Thornton and Heath Ledger have rock solid roles.

"The Brothers Grimm"
Maybe it's because I like fairytales, especially when they are a bit on the dark side, but I always liked this film. The combo Heath Ledger/ Matt Damon also works. I really enjoy this movie everytime I watch it.

"Brokeback Mountain"
My favorite on this list and in my opinion also Heath Ledger's best role. This movie isn't spectacular, but it's in the details why this film is so fantastic. The chemistry between Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, the beautiful landscapes, the individual characters and the heartbreaking story.

"Casanova"
Call me a hopeless romantic, but this film is just entertaining. And Heath Ledger could be so charming and could sweep any woman of her feet.

"I'm Not There"
A very innovative way of telling a story. Nicely done. Great acting by Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Heath Ledger.

"The Dark Knight"
Heath Ledger portrayed the joker in his own way. Many say it was his best performance ever and he got awarded by the academy for this role. I can agree that his portrayal of the joker is fantastic, but for me this performance is my second favorite.

zondag 11 november 2012

Movie Trailer Sunday (59)

This weeks trailers are about an ex-CIA agent, dinosaurs, zombies, more zombies and a christmas killer.

A Dark Truth
Description: An ex-CIA op-turned political talk show host (Andy Garcia) iss hired by a corporate whistle blower to expose her company's cover-up of a massacre in a South American village.
Director: Damien Lee
Starring: Andy Garcia, Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger, Eva Longoria, Forest Whitaker
Trailer: Trailer "A Dark Truth"

Jurassic Park 3D
Description: During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run amok.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards, Samuel L. Jackson, BD Wong, Wayne Knight
Trailer: Trailer "Jurassic Park 3D"
Comment: This is a perfect movie to rereleas in 3D. I'm going to the theatres!!!

Warm Bodies,
Description: After a zombie epidemic, R (Nicholas Hoult) - a highly unusual zombie - encounters Julie (Teresa Palmer) - a human survivor - , and rescues her from a zombie attack. Julie sees that R is different from the other zombies, and as the two form a special relationship in their struggle for survival, R becomes increasingly more human, setting off an exciting, romantic, and often comical chain of events that begins to transform the other zombies and maybe even the whole lifeless world.
Director: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry, John Malkovich, Analeigh Tipton, Dave Franco
Trailer: Trailer "Warm Bodies"
Comment: Looks fun!


World War Z
Description: United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.
Director: Marc Forster
Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox, David Morse
Trailer: Trailer "World War Z"
Comment: Another zombie movie, but I've been waiting for this trailer a long time. This is my favorite of the week.

Silent Night
Description: Santa is back, and he's got a brand new bag of tricks. As their small midwestern town prepares for its annual Christmas Eve parade, Sheriff (Malcolm McDowell) and his deputy (Jaime King) discover that a maniac in a Santa suit is murdering those he judges as "naughty." Their sins? Porn, adultery, greed... And he will make sure they rest in heavenly pieces.
Director: Steven C. Miller
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Jamie King, Donal Logue, Ellen Wong, Lisa Marie, Brendan Fehr
Trailer: Trailer "Silent Night"
Comment: Very cheesy, but why not.

zaterdag 10 november 2012

In My Mailbox (71)

Not so many this week. Only two postcards. But both nice ones. This first card came from Ogre, (I know...) Latvia. Really like this nature sight.


Sent: november 3rd 2012
Received: november 7th 2012
Distance: 1,365 km (848 miles)
Travel Time: 4 days

This really cute mouse with balloon came from Pinsk, Belarus.


Sent: october 29th 2012
Received: october 7th 2012
Distance: 1,390 km (864 miles)
Travel Time: 9 days

I also got a card from Germany, but I can't register it. The number is wrong and I can't track the sender. Thanks Sanita and Valentina for the postcards.

donderdag 8 november 2012

Top 5 Thursday: "Seinfeld Characters"

Maybe this is the funniest sitcom ever. Maybe it’s because of it’s quirkiness. Maybe it’s because of the out of the ordinary characters. Yes, I think all of that is true and here are my five favorite characters from “Seinfeld”.

5. Newman
“Hello Newman”. A classic greeting from “Seinfeld” that Jerry always says when he sees Newman. Jerry’s mom also did it by the way. Newman is a funny character and I like how dramatic he can be.



4. Elaine Benes
Elaine is someone I could never be friends with, but it’s also hard to hate Elaine. Whenever one of her friends tell her something new, she pushes them away. And remember how Elaine dances? Exactly, she can’t!



3. Frank Costanza
Frank Costanza is one of the most memorable characters the show has created. He has his quirks and his principals. A man who made up his own holiday just deserves to be on the list. “Festivus for the rest of us!”



2. George Costanza
With a father like Frank, it’s not a surprise that son George isn’t perfect either. George is actually full of imperfections and flaws. He lies all the time and everybody always finds out. And he always tries to go one step further, but that always costs him.



1. Cosmo Kramer
Kramer is such a nice man, but he has a lot of weird habits. The way he enters a room, his strange ideas, his weird friends and how he always pretends like Jerry’s home is his home. You gotta love Kramer.


They almost made the top 5: Jerry Seinfeld

zondag 4 november 2012

Movie Trailer Sunday (58)

This weeks trailers are about out-of-body experience, minions, a cottage, side effects to some kind of drug and aliëns trying to escape planet earth.

John Who Dies at the End
Description: Soy Sauce is a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. Users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John (Rob Mayes) and David (Chase Williamson), a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No. No, they can't.
Director: Don Coscarelli
Starring: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman, Paul Giamatti
Trailer: Trailer "John Who Dies at the End"
Comment: Weird but funny.

Despicable Me 2
Description: Gru (Steve Carell), the girls, the unpredictably hilarious minions ... and a host of new and outrageously funny characters return in the sequel to the animated hit.
Director: Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Al Pacino, Steve Coogan, Ken Jeong
Trailer: Trailer "Despicable Me 2"
Comment: I really liked the first one, especially the little yellow men who looked like tic tacs.

Cottage Country
Description: Todd (Tyler Labine) wants everything to be just perfect at the family cottage where he plans to propose to Cammie (Malin Akerman). But things go awry with the arrival of Todd's slacker brother Salinger (Daniel Petronijevic) and his free-spirited girlfriend Masha (Lucy Punch). When Todd accidentally dispatches his irksome sibling with an axe, Cammie is determined not to let murder stand in the way of their happiness.
Director: Peter Wellington
Starring: Tyler Labine, Malin Akerman, Daniel Petronijevic, Lucy Punch
Trailer: Trailer "Cottage Country"


Side Effects
Description: A troubled woman (Rooney Mara) who is coping with the imminent release of her husband (Channing Tatum) from jail begins to take a new prescription drug with unforeseen consequences.
Director: Steve Soderbergh
Starring: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum
Trailer: Trailer "Side Effects"

Escape From Planet Earth
Description: On planet Baab lives admired astronaut Scorch Supernova (Brendan Fraser). He is a national hero to the blue alien population. A master of daring rescues, Scorch pulls off astonishing feats with the quiet aid of his nerdy, by-the-rules brother, Gary (Rob Corddry), head of mission control at BASA. When BASA's no-nonsense chief Lena (Jessica Alba) informs the brothers of an SOS from a notoriously dangerous planet, Scorch rejects Gary's warnings and bounds off for yet another exciting mission. But when Scorch finds himself caught in a fiendish trap set by the evil Shanker (James Gandolfini), it's up to scrawny, risk-adverse Gary to do the real rescuing. As the interplanetary stakes rise to new heights, Gary is left to save his brother, his planet, his beloved wife Kira (Sarah Jessica Parker) and their adventure hungry son Kip!
Director: Cal Brunker
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rob Corddry, Jessica Alba, James Gandolfini, Sarah Jessica Parker
Trailer: Trailer "Escape From Planet Earth"
Comment:

zaterdag 3 november 2012

In My Mailbox (70)

Seven postcards this week. The first I received came from Potsdam, Germany. A really cute rabbit card. I didn't like the stickers on the front of the card, so I took them of. But I love the card.


Sent: october 26th 2012
Received: october 30th 2012
Distance: 505 km (314 miles)
Travel Time: 4 days

From Rotterdam, Netherlands I received this handmade card, made by a 63 year old woman who just had hand surgery.


Sent: october 30th 2012
Received: november 1st 2012
Distance: 132 km (82 miles)
Travel Time: 2 days

This adorable animal card came from Krasnojarsk, Russia. I like it, it's super cute.


Sent: october 20th 2012
Received: november 1st 2012
Distance: 5,396 km (3,353 miles)
Travel Time: 12 days

This very interesting postcard came from Nanjing, China. It shows Confusius and has some information in it about him.


Sent: september 26th 2012
Received: november 2nd 2012
Distance: 8,691 km (5,400 miles)
Travel Time: 37 days

From Vilnius, Lithuania I got this mailbox. I think it says Lithuanian mail, but I'm not sure. The sender told me it's a typical Lithuanian mailbox.


Sent: october 30th 2012
Received: november 2nd 2012
Distance: 1,347 km (837 miles)
Travel Time: 3 days

My favorite of the week came from Jiaxing, China. i love everything about this postcard. The image and the colors are gorgeous.


Sent: october 19th 2012
Received: november 2nd 2012
Distance: 8,915 km (5,540 miles)
Travel Time: 14 days

This really nice pigeon came from Sint Petersburg, Russia. I always like black and white photos. This postcard is great.


Sent: october 16th 2012
Received: november 3rd 2012
Distance: 1,800 km (1,118 miles)
Travel Time: 18 days

Thanks Marlen, Alice, Evgenija, Duyaojie, Dovilé, Yue and Nika thanks for the wonderful postcards!!